Garment hanger



0. B. MANTELL GARMENT HANGER July 12, 1955 Filed July 22, 1955 IIIIIIIIE-lnlilnl l lfl a ::.ziiiiil-li 7 4 IIIII III INVENTOR. Otto Basil mani'ell ATTOR EY United rates Fatent Ufiice 2,7118% Patented July 12, 1955 GARMENT HANGER Gtto Basil Mantell, New York, N. Y.

Application July 22, 1953, Serial No. 369,680

1 Claim. (Cl. 22395) This invention relates to improvements in garment hangers and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved garment hanger which is particularly adapted for use in supporting trousers when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel trousers hanger in which there is a hanger body adapted to engage a rack, bar or other support, and including a pair of trousers engaging elements which are movable relative to the hanger body, and constructed and arranged so as to readily grip the calf ends of a pair of trousers legs for supporting the trousers thereby in suspended position therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved garment hanger in which there is a hanger body of elongated contour, and a pair of garment engaging clamp members carried by and movable in respect to said hanger body, the clamp members each having a pair of clamp jaws which are adapted to be releasably inserted into the lower ends of the two trousers legs, with biasing springs acting between the clamp members and the outer end portions of the hanger body adjacent thereto, so that the clamp jaws are biased outwardly to tension the trousers legs sufdciently to effect prehensile engagement of the hanger with the trousers legs, and in which the clamp members are constructed and arranged for pivotal motion, so that both clamping and unclamping thereof is readily effected by simple motion of the hands of the user.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved garment hanger of the character described, which is simple irl design, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly effective in use, with the utmost of convenience for the user.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved garment hanger of the character described, which is so constructed that the cloth of the garment is not gripped from both surfaces thereof, thus avoiding any weakening or tearing of the fabric itself.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing a trousers hanger according to my invention, the hanger bar being shown in fragment.

Figure 2 is a left end elevational view of the hanger shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially on plane 33 of Figure 2, and indicating in broken lines a portion of a trousers leg in engagement therewith.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially on plane 44 of Figure 1, and showing the cuff portions of a pair of trousers legs in engagement therewith.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view on a reduced scale, of a modified form of the invention.

In connection with the manufacture of garment hangers, especially those intended for trousers, sic'rts and the like, it is important that the fabric of the trousers be subjected to as little wear as possible, and that the hanger be of aid in maintaining the smoothness of the fabric, and its crease. The hanger should also be very simple in design and construction, and be made of few parts, so that it will be relatively inexpensive. While grasping or clamping the garment securely, it should also be readily and easily releasable. The present invention provides such a garment hanger, which is especially useful in connection with hanging up trousers, skirts and the like. It may also be combined with an upper portion suitable for hanging coats, blouses and the like.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown, there is a garment hanger generally indicated at 10, and including a hanger body or rail member 12, which may be substantially elongated, and pro vided with a central vertical bore 14 to receive the lower end or shank 16 of a hanger hook member 18, the upper end of which may be shaped like a hook, in the manner shown at 20a in Figure 5. The hanger hook member 18 is thus conveniently shaped for engagement with a garment rack, clothes tree, or other relatively stationary support. The hanger body or rail member 12 has a bottom surface 22, side surfaces 24 and 26, and a curved upper surface 28, which, in a preferred form of the invention may be arcuate as seen best in Figure 4 and smoothly intersecting with the side surfaces 24 and 26. The ends and 32 of the hanger body or rail 12, may be mutually parallel as shown in Figure 1.

At its lower end 34, the rod 16 may be enlarged or peened over, and the enlarged end may be surmounted by a washer or collar 36, to block withdrawal from the opening 14. On the rail 12, I provide a pair of clamp or rider members 38 and 40, which are similar to each other, so that where one, such as rider 38 is described herein, it will be understood that similar construction of corresponding parts thereof exists in rider 40. Each rider, such as at 38, has a rider or clamp body 42, with an opening 44 formed tberethrough for the reception of the hanger body rail 12. As shown in the preferred form illustrated, the opening 44 has a floor wall 46, with integral or integrated upstanding face walls 48 and '50, which as shown are preferably mutually parallel, and there is a dome or arched top or lateral wall 52, which joins the upper ends of side walls 48 and 50, and in the preferred form of the invention, is cylindrical to match the cylindrical curvature of the upper surface 28 of the longitudinal main rail 12.

As seen from Figures 2 and 4, the vertical extent of the rail 12 is less than the vertical extent of the'opening 44 through the clamp jaws 38 and 40, so that the jaw members 38 and are constructed so as to permit tilting them with considerable freedom of movement, such as through an angle 6%, to the left and right relative to the upper or lower surfaces 28 or 22 of the main rail 12.

' Each of the jaw members or riders 38 and 40 has a chamber 62 formed therein below the floor 46 of opening 44, the chamber or compartment 62 having a lower wall or floor 64, which is integral with the extensions of walls 48 and 50 as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. At its right end, the compartment 62, as seen in Figure 3,

,may be wholly or at least partially closed by the spring engaging wall 66, and a tension spring 68 has one end extending inside the compartment 62, and secured to the wall 66 in any suitable manner, as by means of an opening 70, in which the end 72 of the spring is secured.

As seen best in Figures 1 and 3, the outer end 74 of or clamp members 38 and 40 is movable inwardly away from the ends and 32 of the main rail 12, that is, toward each other, and is constantly under outward bias by their respective springs 68.

Each of the rider or clamp members 38 and 40 is' provided with a pair of garment engaging prongs, fingers, or jaws 78 and 80, which are preferably integral with the walls 48 and 5t), and are mutually parallel,'depending below wall 64 of compartment 62 The prongs 78 and 80 have generally, parallel faces 82 and 84, and are gradually mutually convergent on their portions lying between edges 86 and 88-as shown. Teeth 99 are formed along the outer edge 88 of each rider 38and 40, for enhancing the gripping action when inserted inside a trousers leg 92 or 94 in the manner indicated in Figures 3 and 4.

The springs 68 thus exert bias in the directions of the arrows 96, against the inner surfaces of the trousers legs, generally against them in the vicinity of the usual crease 98, and the teeth 90 are similarly biased against the material of the fabric of the trousers or skirt as the case may be, from the inside. In use, the trousers are arrangedwith their two legs 92 and 94 in overlying relation, as seen in Figure 4, and brought with their cuff 7 ends in an upward position, the prongs or fingers 78 and 80 of each rider 38am 40 being inserted inside one cuif end of a trousers leg, so that each rider 38 or 40 engages both legs of the trousers. The riders 38 and 40 are normally so spaced as seen in Figure l, as to be further apart than the width of each trousers leg, and the'user may simply press down at corners 104 of the clamp members 38 and- 40, releasing the frictional grip of-the clamps on the rail 12, and allowing the riders 38 and 40 to be pushed slightly toward each other, or toward the center of the rail 12, to allow insertion of their prongs 78 and 8t) inside the cuffs of the trousers legs.

Then the riders are released, and the springs 68 bias them apart, tensioning the cuffs of the trousers merely sufficiently to engage them securely. This also aids in maintaining thercreases in the trousers. To disengage the trousers, it is only necessary again to press downwards on the corners 104 of the riders, or one of them, and push them toward the center of the rail 12 slightly, which releases the trousers from the clamps. It is seen that the arched wall 52 of the clamps works with the curved top wall 28 of'the rail 12, to increase the contact surface and enhance frictional'engagement between the parts when such engagement is needed.

,38' and 40, and normally the waist band of the skirt is thus engaged. Where the device is used for skirts, it is understood that it will be made with the rail 12 somewhat longer than for trousers, for secure engagement, to take care of the greater dimension thereof.

Referring now to Figure 5, it is seen that here the rail 12a, corresponding to rail 12 in Figure 1, is also provided with riders 38a and 40a, like those at 38 and 4-0 in Figure 1, and that the outer ends of the springs 68 may be conveniently secured to the undersurface 22a of the rail 12, as at screws 76a, instead of at the ends. In this modified form, the hanger hook 18a has its shank 16a extending through the central portion of an arched hanger upper body member 110, as at 34a, the outer ends 112 and 114 of the member being secured to the ends of the rail 12a in any suitablemanner, as by nails, screws, or other fastening means. It is understood that in the form shown in Figure 5, the outer ends of the springs 68 may instead be secured at'the ends of the main'rail 22a in a manner similar to that shown at 76 in Figure 1, by moving the screws 76a to the positions of screws 76 shown in Figure 1, and also if desired, may be secured in adjustable relation to the ends of rail 22a in any suitable manner, as by moving the screws 76:: to any other.

positions. The hanger shown in Figure 5 is thus suitable not only for use with trousers or skirts, one pair of trousers or two skirts, but also with a coat, blouse or waist carried on the upper curved member 110.

Although I have described my invention in specific terms, it will be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. 7

I claim:

A clothes hanger comprising a main rail which is elongated in principal dimension, and includes a pair of substantially parallel side walls interconnected at their bottom by a floor wall, and interconnected at their upper ends by an arcuate shaped top wall, and having first and second end walls at the opposite ends thereof, hook means extending upwards from an intermediate portion of said main rail, and having an upper hooked end for engaging a clothes hanging rail or the like, first resilient means secured at one end to said first end wall of said main rail, second resilient means secured at one end to said second ,end wall, a first spring engaging wall secured to the other end of said first resilientmeans, a second spring engaging wall secured to the other end of said second resilient means, a pair of face walls carried by each of said spring engaging walls and spaced thereby in mutually parallel positions, first and, second lateral walls angularly spaced relative to said spring engaging walls, and interconnecting said pair of face walls to define a spring receiving recess for said resilient means, a third lateral arcuate wall extending in a direction parallel to said first lateral wall and spaced therefrom and interconnecting said pair of face walls to define a main arched rail passage opening between said first and second face walls and .said first and third lateral walls, and greater in size than said main rail so as to make said main rail incompletely fill the a same, whereby said walls defining said main rail passage opening are tiltable relative to said rail, and a plurality of clothes engaging fingers carried by and extending from said first and second face Walls, said clothes engaging fingers carrying teeth constructed and arranged for being biased by said resilient means into engagement against fabric of. clothing to be carried thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,843,807 Dillon Feb. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 996,275 France Aug. 29, 1951 

